Drier



May 15, 1945- AJP. MUNNINGl ET AL 2,376,174

DRIER Filed Aug. v26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented May `1li, 1945 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE I 2,3'7t174 l l DRIER I August Peter Munnng, ast Orange, and Wilbur Joseph Winward, Scotch Plains, N. J., assignors to Munning & Munning, Incorporated, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 2s, 1942, serial No. 456,235

2 claims'.v ,forear- 87) o y,

a1 into the lower portions of the circulating" tion includes a drying chamber which is closed at its bottom, sides and ends, and is open solely at its top to receive racks or other overhead supports from which the units to be dried are suspended within the drying chamber.

The drier also includes a laterally shiftable cover for closing the open top of the drying chamber, and the cover carries impellers for circulating a drying or other gaseous. conditioning mediumthrough-the drying chamber around theL articles hanging therein.

Another feature of the present invention r'esides in the provision of means for automatically stopping the impellers when the cover of the drying chamberis shifted laterally, in uncovering the top of the drying chamber, and for .restarting the impellers when the cover is replaced in proper alignment with the drying chamber.

The device is particularly adaptable for drying metal plates which have been cleansed by a liquid agent prior to beingplated with nickel, chromium, etc., or prior to enameling, etc. The drier is also adapted for drying any coating which may be applied to plates, strips, or other articles.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:A

Fig. l'is an end view of the drier showing the cover in-the vcourse of being shifted laterally to expose the open top of the drying chamber;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the drier showing the shiftable cover in position closing the open top of the drying chamber; and

Fig.3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Primarily, the drier comprises a, centrally located and preferably longitudinally elongatedl drying chamber A, a circulating chamber B v`at` portion rofthe drying chamber through\ ports a1, f

chambers B, B, Athence upwardly through said circulating chambers and through the open tops b, b thereof into channels c, c formed in the hollow cover C, lfor return of the gaseous medium to annular housings d, d, in which the impellersV D,

D respectively rotate, whereby ther circulation of the medium is accelerated through the upperl open top a of the drying chamber A, forarepeat of the cycle.

Fresh air is continuouslyadmitted, in regulated volume, tojthehollow cover C through ports E., E which are located above the impellers D, D, respectively, regulation of the flow being controlled by adjustable disk valves e,- e, in the present instance. Substantially corresponding volumes of saturated air are continuously permittedto escape from the circulating system through ports' F, F in the outsidev side Walls of the circulating chambers B, B, respectively.

The eirin emulation is heated te a; desired temperature by steam coils G, G, or equivalent heating units respectively located in the circulating chambers B, lB. l

Plates, sheets or other units X, X, which are to be dried, are suspended within the ,drying chamber A from suitable racks or other overhead supports H, which are adapted rto be located in the upper portion of the drying chamber A near .the open top a thereof.

The drying medium, as it is driven downward-y ly through the drying chamber A by the impellersk D, *entrains excess moisture from the surfaces of the units X, X, and deposits it in suitable pans or trays I, I, 'which are `located in and extend over substantially the full length and width of the lower portion of the drying chamberA.

After removing the excess free moisture from thel units X, the circulating heated air effects dryingv of the surfaces of the units, by evaporation of the remainingvmoisture.`

Upon completion of the drying of each charge of the units X, X, hanging in the drying chamber V' A,-the top C is shifted laterally, as shown inFig. l, to a'position completely exposing the open top a of the drying chamber A, after which the supports H, H, and the units respectively supported thereby, are raised inA and removed from the drythe cover, C is shifted back into position, with Athe impeller housings d, .d in alignment with the median vertical planeof the chamber A, and" with the air passages c, c of said'cover aligned" with the open tops b, b of the circulating chambers B, B, respectively.

. The impellers D, D may be collectively or independently driven by any suitable mechanism, preferably by electric motors J, J mounted on the removable cover C. In order to stop and start the impellers D, any suitable system of elecv tric control for the motors J may be provided.l

Preferably the electric circuit for the motors J will include a switch K which is provided with an operating arm lc suitably biased to open the circuit when the cover C is shifted in the direc-v tion of the arrow, Fig. 1, whereby rotation of the impellers D will be stopped immediately upon movement of the center of the cover C4 out of alignment with the center of the drying cham,- ber A, As the cover C is replaced, by movement in the opposite direction, bringing the cover C into realignment with the drying chamber A, a suitable trip k1, carried by the cover C, is adapted to engage the switch lever lc and effect reclosing of the circuit to the motors J, whereupon rotation of the impellers D will begin as soon as the cover has attained its normal position covering the top of the drying chamber A. Obviously, any suitable manually operated switch may be ineluded in the motor Circuit to effect starting and,A

stopping of the impellers D as desired.

Lateral shifting of the cover C may be effected manually, by operation of a hand wheel L, Fig. l,

' or by operation of an electric motor M, Fig, 3,

each of which is adapted to effect rotation of a shaft N The shaft N, through gears n secured to said shaft and which mesh with gear racks nl. carried by the cover C, effects horizontal lateral movement of the cover C asa whole.`

The, driermay be of any desired construction and, in the` present instance, includes a bottom frame4 I w-hich is composed of longitudinal beams Ia., Ib, Ic and Id connected by transverse end beams Ie and I f and transverse intermediate beams Ig.

The drier also includes a top frame 2', `which comprises longitudinal beams 2a, 2h, 2c and 2d, which are respectively aligned with the beams Ict,V Ib, Ic and Id of the bottom frame I.

The bottom frame I and top frame 2 are connected by uprights 3, 3 and 4, The uprights 3, 3 connect the outermost of the horizontal longitudinal beams Id, 2a, Id and 2d,v while the up.- rights 4., 4 connect the longitudinal horizontal beams Ib, 2b, Ic and 2c. The outside uprights 3, 3 are connected by intermediate horizontal members 5, 5, which together with the uprights 3 3 support wall panels 6, 6. The panels 6, 6 constitute theV outer side walls of the drier. As shown in Fig, 1, the opposite ends of the drier are respectively closed by similar wall panels l, 'I supported by the end uprights 3, 3 and a transversely extending intermediate cross bar correspending to the intermediate members 5, supra.

Transversely of the drier, the drying chamber A is defined by longitudinal partitions 8, 8 which are supported by the uprights 4, 4, and which extend from the longitudinal beams 2b, 2c, of the upper frame 2, to a level spaced above the beams lb and Ic of the bottom frame I, thus providing the air ports a1, a1 inl the lower part of the chamber A.

` Secured to the uprights 4, 4 are brackets 9, 9, which extend laterally from said uprights into the drying chamber A, for supporting a work,- supporting rack H, said brackets 9 including downwardly converging portions 9a Which function as guides for substantially centering the racks H in the drying chamber A as said racks are lowered into position on the supporting shoulders 9b of the brackets 9.

As shown in Fig. 3, the exhaust ports F, F are formed in the uppermost of the panels 6, 6, and discharge into horizontal conduits I I, I I by which the moist air is conducted away from` the drier.

The drip pans I, I, as shown in Fig. 3, are adapted to rest on the intermediate transverse -beams Ig forming part of the bottom frame I.

These pans are connected by lateral pipes I2, I2 to a main drain I3 extending longitudinally of the drier and supported by the transverse beams Ig, by which the free moisture removed from the articles X is conveyedaway from the drier The motor M, by which lateral shifting of the cover C is accomplished, is mounted on a suitable frame I4 which, in the present instance, is carried by the uprights 3, 3 adjacent one end of the drier. The shaft of the motor M is provided with a suitable sprocket wheel or pulley I5, which is connected by a sprocket chain or belt IS to a sprocket wheel or pulley Il secured to one end of the shaft N. The shaft N is supported in bearings i8 which are carried by brackets I9 secured to the longitudinal beam 2d of the upper frame 2 of the drier.

The upper frame 2 includes transverse girders 26, 210 at opposite ends respectively of the drier, which function as rails for anged wheels 2|', 2 I, by which the cover C is supported for its lateral shifting movement. As shown in Fig. 1, the beams 20, 29 overhang the drier, at one side thereof, to provide for shifting of the cover C 'to its extreme broken line position, shown in Fig. l, wherein the cover is clear of the drying chamber A and the circulating chambers B, B.

As shown in Fig. 2, the cover C comprises an outer shell which includes. end plates 22, 22, and a top and side plate 23. The cover C also includes intermediate transversely extending partitions 2211, 22a., by which the interior of the cover C is divided into a plurality of compartments C1. These compartments C1 respectively house the impellers D, D. They opposite longitudinally eX- tending side walls formed by the plate 23 which extend from end to end of the cover are reinforced by longitudinal stringers 24, 24 to` which stationary axles 25, 2,5 for the wheels 2i, 2l are rigidly secured,v atv the opposite ends respectively of the cover.

The cover C, throughout, is provided with heat insulating material 26, similar in character to that with which the side panels 5, 6 and end panels 'I, I are also provided.

Intermediatev the end plates 22, 22 and the transverse plates 22a, 22a, within each of the compartments C1, C1 the cover C is provided with a bridge sheet 27 which supports the housing d for the impeller D, of that compartment, centrally thereof. The bridge sheet 2'I of each compartment Cl separates a central portion c1 of each compartment of the cover, which overlies the drying chambery A, from the channels c, c of the cover, which communicate with the upper open ends b, b of the circulating compartments B, B respectively. The lower edges 23, 2B, of the bridge sheets 2 1, align with the longitudinal beams 2b and 2c to complete the separation of the central and side portions. c, c, and c1 of the interior of the cover C.

The impellers D are mounted on the lower ends of vertical shafts 3.0, which are rotatably supported in; bearings '3|' carried by spider brackets 32 supported yby the annular housings d of the impellers D. The upper ends of the impeller shafts 30 are respectively provided with pulleys 33 which are connected by belts 34 to fpulleys 35 on the shafts of the motors J. The motors J are supportedonv the top of the cover C by suitable brackets 36.

The'valves e, by which the fiow of fresh air into the drier through the ports E is controlled, are each provided with a threaded stem 31 screwed into a hub- 38 of a spider 39 which is located in each'of the ports E. Rotation of the valve 'e will effect axial movement thereof to and from the outer shell 23 of the vcover C, for regulating the amount of air entering the drier.

Obviously the details of construction of the' drier may be variedto -suit the desires of the designers of the driers, without departing from the spirit of the invention. e

The well type of drier, hereinbefore described, lends itself admirably to use inthe modern productio'n line' methods of industry, where large numbers or batches of plates or other articles are simultaneously processed, with the articles suspended from racks adapted to be raised and lowered and shifted from one position to another along the lproduction line on overhead traveling cranes, etc., to be submerged in various liquids successively, and wherein total or partial drying of the articles between clippings and at the end of the'line is required. With the present drier incorporated in the production line, handling of the individual units, in drying, is rendered unnecessary,

We claim: f

1. A drier comprisinga rectangular longitu dinally elongated drying chamber and at least one rectangular longitudinally elongated circulating chamber parallel thereto said chambers being open exclusively at their respective tops over substantially the entire horizontal areas of said chambers, a rectangular longitudinally elongated displaceable cover normally closing said open tops of said chambers', said vcover including a rectangular longitudinally elongated bridge el ement spanning the open top of said drying 'chamber and dividing the interior of said cover into a compartment conmiunicating with said drying chamber `and a channel communicating with said circulating chamber, an impeller rotatably mounted in an opening formed in said bridge element for effecting circulation of a gaseous medium through said opening between said channel and saidcompartment, transversely `extending rails projecting laterally beyond one side of said drier vfor supporting said cover for lateral horizontal movement fromk its drier closing posi- Ytion to a position exposing the open top of the 'drying chamber, and means for shifting said cover horizontally alongy said rails, out of and into covering relation with respect to the open tops of said chambers.

2. A' drier comprising a rectangular longitudinally elongated drying chamber and at least one rectangular longitudinally elongated circulating chamber parallel thereto said chambers being open exclusively at their respective tops over substantially the entire horizontal areas of said chambers, a rectangular longitudinally elongated displaceable cover normally closing said open tops of said chambers, said cover including a rectangular longitudinally elongated bridge element spanning the open top of said drying cham- |ber and dividing the interior of said cover into a compartment communicating with said drying chamber and a channel communicating withsaid circulating chamber, an impeller rotatably mounted in an opening formed in said bridge element for effecting circulation of a gaseous medium through said opening between said channel and said compartment, transversely extending rails projecting laterally beyond one side of said drier for supporting said cover for lateral horizontal movement from its drier closing position to a position exposing the open top of the drying chamber, means for shifting said cover horizontally along said rails out of and into covering relation with respect to the open tops of said chambers, and means automatically controlled by said cover in shifting for stopping and starting rotation of said impeller in accordance with the'uncovering and recovering movements of said cover. e' l f AUGUST PETER MUNNI-NG.-

WILBUR JOSEPH WINWARD. 

